The HYD Megafic
by Jennifer Wand
Summary: Tsukushi goes to New York to get Doumyouji back...
1. Part 1

PART I  
  
"I've come to see Doumyouji."  
The world revolved around this one moment, or so it seemed to Tsukushi. Her fists clenched hard to keep it from spinning out of control.  
"Let me see him, please."  
  
She couldn't help the "please." Although she didn't want to have any respect for this lady - this lady who might as well be a monster, picking lives instead of roses - it was too easy to curse at her. That had been Tsukasa's way of doing things, but it wasn't hers. Besides, she refused to sink to a new low even to defeat this woman. That would be resorting to the same tricks the witch had, and Tsukushi had to show her that she wasn't the scum the witch thought she was.   
At least, that was the line she kept repeating to herself over and over to disguise the fear in her heart. There was a sort of spell this woman carried around her person that made everyone in her vicinity fall down and beg for mercy. Tsukushi did not want to be prey to that... she couldn't afford to. But still, even with all her strength, she couldn't help but say "please."  
The woman eyed her warily, and lifted one of the roses in the bundle she'd gathered to her face gently. "You want to see him," she said. Back and forth, back and forth the flower went, just one loose petal brushing against her face. It fluttered over her lips and came to a halt. "You've come here expecting that I would see your determination, see that you have come all the way across the world, and suddenly undo everything I have worked to protect since you forced your way into our lives." Kaede bit down on the errant petal. "You are a fool, Makino-san. A fool."  
"Let me see Doumyouji." Tsukushi did her best to make it sound like an order this time. Her nails bit into the flesh of her palm as her fists tightened further.  
"I will tell you about determination," Kaede said, beginning a stately walk toward her. "Determination is about protecting your family no matter _what_..." with this she thrust the blooms in her hand toward Tsukushi... "may presume to get in your way. Determination is knowing what is best for your children, even when they themselves may not know. And determination is knowing you have built a castle that no one can break down. From without," she added meaningfully, "or from within."  
Tsukushi felt she could see that castle behind Kaede, rising to impressive heights at the merest gesture. Walls rising of stone and moats flooding with water, shutting itself off from the rest of the world. Could this woman who built castles out of thin air be defeated? But there was no choice. She had to be.  
"I don't understand you," Tsukushi said in a hardened voice. "Why can't you let your son be happy?"  
"Happy?" Kaede seemed to choke on the word. Then she laughed aloud. "Are you presuming to tell me that you know how to make Tsukasa-san happy? That you know what is best for that boy?" There was something goulish about her laughter that made Tsukushi shudder. For the first time, she felt like the witch was letting her demonic smile show, cracking the mask of alabaster that had maintained its perfect place all this time. Her stomach turned.  
Then, the smile turned truly evil. Kaede narrowed her eyes to slits, and her thin lips nearly turned white as they went taut. "Very well," she said in a frigid voice. "You wish to see Tsukasa-san? Let us go see him."  
  
Tsukushi wanted to be happy. She was following Kaede into the main entrance of the house, across an endless marble floor and up stairs lifted from some old, glamorous silent movie. And she was on her way to see Tsukasa. This is what she came here to do, she said to herself over and over. She'd succeeded. But she couldn't be happy about it. That smile had been too evil. How could she be happy when the witch was so obviously planning something?  
She was reminded somewhat of Hansel and Gretel. Lured by the promise of something sweet under this roof, she followed the witch into her own lair. Tsukushi had a sudden image of Kaede cackling evilly as she shoved her into an oven. She shuddered.  
"Tsukasa-san is currently undergoing special executive training at the Doumyouji Corporation," Kaede narrated as they entered a dark room with several screens laid out against the walls. "He is at the office, but we can view him from here." She tapped a screen just out of Tsukushi's line of sight, and a blue glow illuminated her face.  
It wasn't that Tsukushi's heart didn't sink at the thought that she wouldn't get to meet him face-to-face. More than anything she wanted to look into those eyes again. But it was so much closer than she'd been, and the chords of her emotion were wound up so tightly with suspicion, that she couldn't afford herself the disappointment. So instead of protesting, demanding to be brought to him in person, she wrapped her hopes around the screen that Kaede now beckoned her to approach. Gulping her remaining hesitation into a lump in her throat, she nodded and walked over.  
  
Tsukushi had thought over and over about what it would be like to see Tsukasa again after all this. What had this witch done to him? Had she locked him in a room surrounded by armed guards? Chained him to a wall? She couldn't help but think the worst... there was no way she would see anything less than an utter horror.  
But nothing could prepare her for what she finally saw on that screen. Tsukasa was.... Tsukasa was...  
  
Tsukasa was.... smiling.  
  
There was a pretty blonde American woman next to him, holding out some papers for his perusal. He looked them over and made a comment. The lady replied, and they both laughed. Tsukushi's heart sank as she saw his smile... it was his genuine smile, that laughing, almost childish face, that she thought belonged to her alone. He was happy. And all at once Tsukushi was in the witch's oven. She had never suspected what had truly been behind that delicious gingerbread door. The heat flooded her body.  
"As you can see," Kaede said with some satisfaction, "he is adjusting very well. He has applied himself to the task at hand, and is proving to be a natural in the art of executive management."  
Tsukushi's hand moved of its own accord to brush the face on the screen. It winked out beneath her touch as Kaede pressed a small button on a nearby console. And she was left in the darkness. No more Tsukasa, no more screens - nothing but stark blacks and whites, and the otherworldly gleam of Kaede's red lipstick as she spoke.  
"This is Tsukasa-san's future," she said. "He will be doing this the rest of his life. It is where he is meant to be. Even you should be able to see that, Makino-san."  
(That smiling face...)  
(That was a smile of pure happiness.)  
"You must know by now that he will not be able to attain that future if you tie him down, Makino-san. There is too much he needs to do, too many places he must go, to become ready to take the reins of this corporation. I have placed my hope in him, and I see now that I was not mistaken." Kaede stroked the dark screen as though it were her child. "Surely you must know what it is to believe in him too, Makino-san. That may be the one and only emotion we share."  
Tsukushi didn't know what to think. All of a sudden this woman was talking like a mother. A businesslike, calculating mother perhaps, but a mother nonetheless. And she couldn't pretend she didn't know what it was to believe in Tsukasa. That was the emotion that had brought her to this shore. But before she had a chance to respond, Kaede moved in for the kill.  
"Now, Makino-san, I ask you. Will you take that away from him? Will you deprive this boy of his destiny by selfishly insisting you be together?"  
Tsukushi's world drained away and disappeared.  
  
Her eyes stopped seeing. Wide open and blank, they registered no light, only a profound dark nothingness yawning like a cavern all around her. Perhaps the gleam of that lipstick was somewhere in her peripheral vision. But everything else was dark, dark, darker than the inside of the blackest heart.  
She was defeated.  
Not only was she defeated, she was soundly defeated.  
There wasn't a single thing she could say to argue with this woman. She had no more cards to play, no more fire blazing within her, as though an icy wind had passed its hand over her like the Angel of Death. The witch was right. She was right.  
She loved him. And she wanted him to be happy. But there he had been, on the screen, happy. Without her. Looking comfortable and at-home. Without her. Having found something besides her that fulfilled him, made him a part of the world.  
She had been everything to him for so long that all of a sudden she wasn't sure who she was anymore.  
Kaede faded from the picture. Matters of pride and battles between the rich and poor disappeared entirely. For so long, his world had revolved around her, and she'd struggled to be free of it. Now it was the opposite. Now she had traveled that endlessly turning world for him. And the chain that she imagined binding them seemed more like a shackles... her weight keeping him from soaring.  
She began to cry.  



	2. Part 2

PART II  
O'okawahara Shigeru was bored.  
Oh, it wasn't like she didn't have plenty to do, of course. Unlike some other people she knew, she actually bothered with her homework - and if that failed she could always call up Sakurako and they could go shopping (again) - but come on now. There had to be something more exciting going on in the world, especially considering what she'd seen the last time she'd been on a shopping expedition. But there was no word from the Eitoku side of things... not a single communication. Had there really been no aftermath from all of that madness? Or... on the other hand...  
Shigeru gulped and grabbed the phone. Damn it, it was just like Sakurako to clam up if something really big had happened. She grabbed her phone and dialed.  
"Tsukushi's not picking up..."   
Another six numbers, and then...  
::click::  
"No, never mind that. If something big's going on Sakurako will be a mess." She rolled over on her bed and whined. "Argh! What's going ON? Got to think. Who can I call who won't flip out? I have to think of someone calm..."  
She grabbed the phone again almost immediately.  
  
"Hanazawa."  
"Did I wake you up?"  
"Who is this?"  
"Oh, come on. You don't recognize my voice? I'm hurt. It's O'okawahara."  
"Oh."  
A looooong silence.  
"Well, he doesn't flip out, at least..." Shigeru muttered as Rui yawned on the other end. "Look," she said louder, "what's been going on there? I haven't heard from anybody for days."  
"Going on?"  
...What is this guy smoking!?... "With Tsukushi, of course! I saw that baseball game!"  
"Oh, Makino," he said, seeming to wake up a little. "She went to New York."  
This threw Shigeru for a loop. "With Tsukasa?"  
"On her own."   
"On her..." Shigeru started to echo. Then the implications of those words caught up with her. Her jaw fell open and air rushed into her lungs. She forgot to breathe for a full minute. That meant Tsukasa was... Tsukasa was...  
Then her eyes crossed with annoyance as she started to hear the distinct sound of snoring on the other end.   
"WAKE UP!!"  
She swore she could hear him rub his eyes on the other end. Unbelievable.  
  
Rui had to hold the phone a foot away from his ear to stand the force of Shigeru's shouts. Her voice, garbled slightly by the phone line, resonated through the room. "You let her go to New York? ALONE? Are you guys out of your minds? You think Tsukushi will be able to survive there, much less find Tsukasa? Aren't you even the slightest bit worried?"  
He waited until she had finished shouting and was panting for breath before he dared start to reply. "Makino's..."  
"I can't BELIEVE you!!" the screech came again, like an aftershock, and Rui dropped the phone.  
"Um," he said quickly, trying to get a word in edgewise before this crazy woman started up again. "Listen?"  
"I'm _listening_," the voice said flatly. Rui rolled his eyes. Sure she was. Crazy, crazy, woman.  
"Makino went on her own," he said. "It's none of our business. We haven't got a reason to get involved in her fight."  
"You haven't got a reason? What are you talking about?"  
"What I mean is," Rui sighed, slumping down onto his futon, "She didn't ask us to help, and we couldn't do her any good by going along anyway."  
Shigeru balked. "What do you mean? You can't think Tsukushi will manage this on her own."  
Despite his annoyance, Rui had to grin. "Sure she will," he said. "This is Makino, after all."  
  
"So Tsukushi's gone to America to get Tsukasa, hmm..."  
Shigeru lay on her back, addressing the ceiling. "That doesn't help. I'm STILL bored. And I'm still not sure she'll pull it off by herself." She sighed resolutely and closed her eyes.  
Then, all at once, a wicked smile crossed Shigeru's face. She bounced up and stretched out her legs and arms. "Well..... I haven't been to New York in a long time anyway...!" With renewed energy, Shigeru opened her closet door and dragged out a suitcase.  
  
  
"Will you take that away from him...?"  
Tsukushi huddled, alone and tired, in a coffee shop somewhere in Greenwich Village. The smoke was thick in her eyes, but with the weight she felt now, it hardly made a difference. She sighed heavily.  
What was she going to do now?  
It wasn't that she had let the witch win. But for once, she'd had a point. Wasn't it selfish of her to assume that Tsukasa wanted to be with her more than anything else? Shouldn't she allow him the chance to spread his own wings, to become somebody with a purpose and a place in life independent from her?  
After all, that's what she had wanted when he was chasing her.  
It was odd - though she'd cried in front of Kaede, she didn't feel mortified at all. Before, she would have considered it more humiliation than she chould stand. But none of that seemed to matter anymore. Because she was standing in the way of his happiness.  
"Poor Makino-san," Kaede had said when the tears first started to flow. "Despite all you've done, I pity you. Did you ever consider how hard this would be for you?   
"If you think it was cruel of me to scrutinize you as I did, think about the entire business community doing the same. Rival companies would repeatedly attack you and your family. Every social engagement you attend, you will attend knowing that the slightest faux pas would be a blow to Tsukasa-san's reputation, and thus to his very livelihood. Do you truly wish to subject yourself to that? Knowing that no matter how much you care, and how proud you are, you cannot help but be a burden to him?"  
Each word stung like a slap in the face. Tsukushi had finally turned and run from the room, unable to choke back the flood of sobs that had wracked her body. She'd told herself that she wouldn't give in to the weakness in her own heart, but how could she fight this new logic she'd never even thought of before? How could she fight that smiling face on the screen?  
She thought about another time. Under the light of a blindingly full moon, with the sound of the waves billowing under the salt water taste of her own sobs, she and Hanazawa Rui had been caught by a stony-faced Tsukasa. All the surprisingly sweet kindness he'd shown her in those days had crumbled to ashes, and his smiles, those smiles she hadn't realized how much she treasured, slid off his face like paper, like water. Leaving him devoid of expression. And no matter how great the hopeless, desperate feeling had been that had driven her into Rui's arms that night, it was at seeing that blank face that Tsukushi had broken down, cried harder than she thought possible.  
And then, worse, even worse (how could anything be worse), there was the night she had left him standing there in the rain. She still remembered the image that had haunted her dreams thereafter: his eyes wide as the moon, a word of protest dying mutely on his lips, the rain coursing down his face and taking his smiles with it, smiles draining away into the gutter and leaving him expressionless. Paralyzed. And her tears that night had put the pouring rain to shame.   
How could she erase that smile from his face again?  
"Doumyouji..." she thought sadly. "In the end, no matter how much we love each other, am I nothing but a burden to you?"  



	3. Part 3

PART III  
  
"Opposed!"  
Tsukasa rose and slammed his fist down on the desk. The conference room turned to face him.  
"I won't hear a word of this. It makes no sense!" Tsukasa scowled, oblivious to the gasps of the assembled shareholders and bigwigs of various sorts. Across the table, his mother smiled cattily, twirling a pen absently between the tips of two red-painted fingernails. "Oh, and why do you say that, Tsukasa?" she said. "Don't you see the necessity for the downsizing in that department?"  
"It makes no sense," Tsukasa repeated, firm again, but no longer shouting. "Of course I understand the financial situation makes it necessary in that case, but didn't we just have a meeting a few days ago about the productivity problem in marketing?"  
Kaede's smile didn't disappear, but it did fade somewhat. "What exactly are you saying?"  
"What I'm saying is, why don't we move some of our people over there?"  
This created no little stir in the boardroom. But ignoring the sudden murmurs, Kaede just continued to smirk. "But they're number crunchers, Tsukasa-san. Those people have no skills in marketing."  
Tsukasa sat back down and started looking through the sheaf of papers piled at his seat. "I'm positive there was... yes... this guy named Harrison. Wasn't he in accounting and switched over to marketing? What if we were to have him guide them in? A sort of training course? We could transition them over a period of time. If productivity picks up, we'll more than make up our losses. What do you say, Mother?"  
A period of silence passed, and when Kaede smiled again, Tsukasa knew he'd won.  
  
Handshakes and polite bows, and promises to meet again to work on the restructuring plan. Kaede lagged behind, and as Tsukasa smiled and bowed to the last of the stragglers, she walked slowly up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.  
"You did marvelously today," she said in an approving tone.  
"Thank you, Mother," he answered politely, the grin in his heart slowly spreading to his face.  
"You've exceeded my expectations," she said smoothly, gathering up her files into a sleek leather briefcase. "To be honest I never expected you to learn so quickly. I'm very pleased."  
"It's fun," he said, and then clapped a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry, Mother... can I..."  
"Go ahead." Kaede gave her son a tight-lipped smile.  
"I don't know why, but it's fun," Tsukasa said. "I could never remember kanji, but I can remember how everything works here. It feels right. It feels like this is what I ought to be doing."  
"Of course," she said as she glided out the door. "It is. You're a Doumyouji."  
  
"Mister Doumyouji?"  
The woman knew enough Japanese to communicate with him - she wouldn't work as a secretary for upper-level management if she didn't. But everyone was Mister and Missus to her. It was her quirk, and she'd never give it up for the world.  
"Ah, Linda," Tsukasa turned. "You're still here?"  
"Just finishing typing the minutes of the meeting," she said briskly. "You too, Mister Doumyouji."  
"I'm on my way out," he said. "See you tomorrow."  
"Um, Mister Doumyouji?" she asked tentatively, and he stopped.  
"I was wondering, Mister Doumyouji... you being so young and all..." she began timidly, but when she looked up his eyes were gentle and she felt courage. "Is this what you want to do? What's your real dream?"  
"My dream?" His eyes turned round and boyish.  
"I'm sorry, Mister Doumyouji!" she said, feeling squeamish all of a sudden.  
But Tsukasa put his briefcase down on a table and leaned back against the cubicle wall. "My dream, huh..." he pondered.   
"In my dream," he said, "I'll come to work in the morning and have people look at me like I'm someone important without me having to remind them. I'll do this all day. Things will make more sense to me than they do to other people. I'll make changes and do important things. And I'll feel at home here.  
"And then..."  
His eyes softened. Linda blinked.  
"And then I'll come home to her," Tsukasa said.  
  
"And she'll smile at me and I'll lift her up in my arms and swing her around, tell her what a triumph the day was.. and she'll laugh at me... and yell at me for tracking mud in the house... and we'll eat takeout sushi and talk about our friends... and she'll resist when I try to kiss her... and turn red... and her kisses will taste like sushi... and when I feel her hands touching the back of my neck I'll forget about the world..."  
"Mister Doumyouji..." Linda whispered in awe.  
He shook his head abruptly. "I'm sorry," he said. "Forget I said all that. I've got to go meet my mother. Please," he added earnestly, "don't tell her I said any of that. No matter what."  
Linda barely had time to nod before he was gone.  
  
Kaede was slightly surprised at her son's change in demeanor when he met her at the car to return home. Something had stirred him, deepened the joy in his eyes beyond that momentary delight of success. Nevertheless, he said nothing that she could interpret as concerned. In fact, he said nothing at all, simply stared facing forward as the New York city lights slid across his face one by one and the limo sped into the darkness.  
"So, tell me, Tsukasa-san," she finally ventured. "How did it occur to you to make that structuring change today?"  
"I didn't want to see all those people laid off," he said. "It's not fair to them." His eyes retained the cool, distant glimmer that she simply could not read.  
And then he said the one thing that made her pulse quicken in sudden fright. Her eyes narrowed.  
"If I'm going to be the president of the Doumyouji Corporation, I need to think about the common people," he said. "Somebody told me that."  
  
The gloomy, drizzly skyline of New York seemed to hang like a weight over Tsukushi's shoulders. She had come here with such high hopes, with so much confidence. She was so sure of the terrain then. This was a battle like all the others, one about pride, about not backing down.   
What she wanted was to be with him, and that had to be what he wanted too. Which meant the witch didn't have a leg to stand on.  
It never once occurred to her that the witch could be doing something that might be good for him. She was sure he had to be tied up in the basement like a dog, suffering day in and day out as punishment for the horrible sin of dating her. After all, that had been the whole purpose of taking him to New York, right?   
No. She'd been wrong. Apparently she'd been wrong about a lot of things.  
She remembered how she'd felt when his mother had first entered the scene. Trapped and panicking, she'd told herself, "He only feels this way right now. It's a momentary thing. I'm sure his eyes will open soon." But they hadn't. For so long after that, he'd been just as consumed with her as he'd been for so long before. And slowly she'd come to realize that maybe... just maybe... she really was the thing he wanted most in life.  
But now it occurred to her that he just hadn't found it until now. Perhaps she'd been right all along, and the awakening she'd anticipated had simply come a little later. After all, how many times had she misjudged him in the past? How many times had she underestimated his strength? He wasn't the sort of man who wasted away forever on something impossible.  
And impossible was what this whole affair seemed to be turning out to be.  
The oppresive fog of the city had burned her lungs with each breath she inhaled, and she hadn't wanted to spend another night under the roof of Thomas's den of depravity. So before long Tsukushi had found herself back at the airport. She certainly didn't have money to go back, but at least the airport was warm, open all night, and it wasn't directly in the city. She stared at the city skyline through the huge paneled windows of the terminal. Her reflection, superimposed over the rows of buildings, stared gloomily back at her. She heaved a long sigh and traced the shape of the Chrysler Building against the windowpane with one lazy finger.  
"What on earth do I do now?" she sighed, her breath creating a white fuzzy spot over her reflection's mouth. She wiped it away slowly. Behind her, the constant shuffle of the busy airport rang in her ears... a jumble of languages along with the rustle of suitcases and the hurried beats of anxious feet... shouting children, crying babies, talking businessmen... words that turned into nonsense in the hollow of her ear, that almost seemed like a muffled, mysterious voice calling her name...  
  
...no, wait.  
Someone WAS calling her name.  
Tsukushi wheeled, and her eyes widened as she fell back against the glass of the window. A figure was rapidly approaching her from one of the flight gates, waving a carry-on bag high in the air and nearly knocking over fellow passengers in the act. Her eyes darted to the sign above the gate: Flight 3580, now arriving from Narita International Airport.........  
"Tsukushi!" Shigeru grinned. 


	4. Part 4

PART IV  
  
"So you WERE here the whole time...!" Shigeru exclaimed. "Well, doesn't that just beat all!"  
"Sh... sh... shi..."  
"But why are you at the airport? Don't tell me you're going back?"  
"Shigeru-san!?" Tsukushi finally got the words out of her mouth.  
"Does that mean Tsukasa's okay? He's coming back too? Where is he?" Shigeru looked around excitedly. "HEY! Tsukasa!" she yelled into the busy terminal. "Where's he at?"  
"Um..." Tsukushi looked sheepish.  
"Tsukushi!" Shigeru's eyes went wide with alarm. She grabbed her friend's shoulders in sudden panic. "You-- you didn't! You're not leaving without him, are you?"  
Tsukushi was silent. She hung her head.  
Shigeru shook her. "Tsukushi!!"  
  
It took two cups of tea to even lift Tsukushi's head. She was so utterly humiliated, so defeated, she couldn't even cry. Shigeru looked at her, bent her head to try to meet her eyes, shrugged, sighed, took a sip of tea, and then started again from step one. The silence hung long and thick between the two of them.  
She hadn't even been able to navigate Tsukushi out of the airport. There was something about going back out into the city that Tsukushi recoiled at reflexively, as though it represented something she was trying very hard to forget about. Finally, sighing, Shigeru had led her to a quiet corner of an airport cafe, somewhat secluded from the bustling activity by hanging plants and a shadowy atmosphere. Finally, she cleared her throat and pointed at her accusingly.  
"You're not getting out of here until you tell me what's going on, Tsukushi," she admonished. "So just spit it out already."  
Tsukushi stared at the pointing finger with a mixture of anger and sorrow. Finally she sighed and dared to meet Shigeru's eyes. "I gave up," she said.  
"WHAT!?????"  
All pretense of privacy was broken then, as the rest of the cafe gasped at the disbelieving shriek that Shigeru sent flying through the air. Eyes turned on them. Tsukushi couldn't feel them, though, and Shigeru didn't care. These were the only words she had never thought she'd heard come from Tsukushi's lips.  
"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute!" Shigeru pounded on the table, coming dangerously close to upsetting her cup of tea. "You gave UP!? With a face like that I thought maybe Tsukasa was DEAD or something! Or you had to go back because Tsukasa's mother's goons were holding your family hostage or something! But you don't give up! What on earth would make YOU," she emphasized angrily, "give UP!?"  
Tsukushi sighed. "I realized I'm not good for him..."  
"Who are you and what have you done with my friend!?" Shigeru demanded.  
"Seriously, Shigeru-san!" Tsukushi blurted out, her eyes flashing. "He's doing work at his company now, and he's doing a good job! What could I say to him? 'Come back to Japan where we have to sneak around like a bunch of spies, and lose all your money and your whole future just so you can go out with me'? I saw him, Shigeru-san," she confessed. "He's happy. I can't get in the way of that!"  
"You're NUTS!" Shigeru shouted, not caring who could hear. "Did you think about this even for a minute? What are you going to do with a weak will like that? I thought you were stronger than this, Tsukushi!"  
Tsukushi's eyes vibrated with hurt. "It's not about me being strong. I have to think about what's best for him..."  
"YOU are!" Shigeru's eyes filled with tears. "Tsukushi, do you have any idea how much that boy has been through for you? Think about it! Just think!"  
"I have thought!" Tsukushi retorted. "Ever since I came into his life it's been one disaster after another. He's nearly DIED I don't know how many times! I've caused him so much pain already - he's much better off without me!"  
Shigeru raised her hand and slapped Tsukushi across the face.  
  
A stream of salty tears watered the deep flush of Tsukushi's cheek and it reddened and swelled where Shigeru had struck her. Head spinning, cheek stinging, Tsukushi looked up at her with eyes full of pain and fear. Shigeru stared at her own hand for a minute, then looked Tsukushi directly in the eyes. Her own eyes glistened with tears.  
"Don't you... ever... say that again," she whispered tremulously, seethingly, as though if she were to raise her voice even a bit it would explode into shouting. "Don't you forget, Tsukushi. I let go of him so he could be with you. And as for causing him pain... I've seen the pain he's in when he's without you, Tsukushi! That's the one thing you'll never be able to see.  
"You think you cause him pain? You think you put him into dangerous situations? Is that what you're afraid of?" Shigeru's tears broke forth and her voice swelled with emotion. "Did you think for a single minute WHY he's gone through all that? WHAT was Tsukasa suffering FOR!?"  
  
.... i believe you ...  
  
Tsukushi gasped as a tiny voice of memory, like a flickering candle, touched her somewhere deep inside.  
  
I believe you.  
  
The first time he'd embraced her with love and sorrow in his eyes, he'd said "I believe you."  
  
I believe you, he'd said. I love you, he'd said. And he'd said so much more than that...  
  
... say just once that you love me ... i thought my heart would stop ... into hell or wherever you go... it would have been my loss... I wouldn't have protected you... i'm in love with her, so it doesn't matter... i'll protect you, i'll take on anything ... if i don't leave home i can't protect you... i can't live without you ... i'll make you happy... don't be confused, believe in me...  
  
....believe in me...  
  
...believe in me...  
  
"I'm sorry, Shigeru-san," Tsukushi's voice broke. "I'm so sorry..."  
Shigeru reached down to embrace her. "It's okay. It's okay," she whispered, folding her arms about her friend and stroking her hair. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have hit you. Forgive me?"  
Tsukushi whimpered something in a small voice against Shigeru's shoulder.  
"What was that?" Shigeru asked.  
"I said," smiled Tsukushi through her tears, "you definitely should have hit me." She gave a little choking giggle. "That's just like you, Shigeru-san."  
"I don't know if that's a compliment..." Shigeru mused.  
"I don't know either," Tsukushi said, lifting her head.  
The two girls looked at each other for a long moment. And then they laughed.   
  
"So we've got to think of a plan," Shigeru stirred her tea vigorously, as though that would stir her brain up faster. "You want me to disguise myself and sneak into the office as a janitor or something?"  
"Um... Shigeru-san... that's a little..." Tsukushi laughed a little shakily. She had no great desire to play detective with a hyperactive, reality-impaired Shigeru. But once she'd agreed to give Operation: Rescue Doumyouji another try, she was afraid she was stuck with a partner who was worse than a lethal weapon.  
"I know, I know," Shigeru laughed happily. "First thing is to get you into the house when he's there. But how do we know when he's not in the office?"  
"Tama-senpai!" Tsukushi said suddenly, snapping her fingers.  
"Eh?"  
"I can get that information," Tsukushi said. "I have someone who can help me with that."  
"Great!" Shigeru clapped her hands. Tsukushi grinned in response. It was hard not to be enthused by such energy. And thank God, this time Shigeru's overexcited mood was working for her instead of unknowingly planting her in the middle of uncomfortable situations! "Then we'll set a time to get you in, and I'll make sure his mother's out at the time."  
"You will?" Thrown, Tsukushi blinked. "Huh? How?"  
The beginnings of a giggle played at Shigeru's lips. She winked and saluted proudly. "Just leave it to me!"  
  
"Will you at least let me buy you a hotel room?" Shigeru slung her arm about Tsukushi's shoulders as they strolled to the taxi stand.  
"Sure..." Tsukushi nodded, weak from the roller coaster of emotion she'd been riding that night. The raw streaks of tears had barely faded from her face when the laughter began, and her cheeks were crisscrossed with blotches and streaks of red from both extremes.   
"Oh, yeah," Shigeru went on. "I talked to the boys before I left. Your friends are fine."  
Tsukushi nodded, then giggled. "The 'boys'?" she questioned, twisting her lips around the word quizzically.  
"You know," Shigeru said with a touch of exasperation. "The usual suspects. The three stooges. The F3."  
"I know," Tsukushi laughed, "but, 'boys?' How would Nishikado-san feel about being called a 'boy,' I wonder?"  
Shigeru smiled. "We'll ask him when we get back," she said simply.  
"Right..." Tsukushi answered her smile with her own, feeling a warmth return to her heart that had been gone for so long. Something she'd forgotten existed. It was hope. And as the taxicab sped away from the airport and back into town, Tsukushi felt lifted by great white wings of it. She clutched her fist to her heart, trying to keep it from escaping again.  
They reached the hotel, and for the first time since she'd come to this place, she slept, dreamlessly, soundly. Here, beside a friend who had come to support her, and who loved her, she could finally rest. And tomorrow morning, she would awaken to a whole new beginning. 


	5. Part 5

PART V  
  
Doumyouji Kaede's morning routine was one to see.  
A light breakfast over financial papers, and then she would glide like a queen into her dressing room, attended by several maids, who would bow graciously behind her as she emerged again in full business attire. By then, her right-hand man would have arrived by car - never so early that he would see her in her morning robe, but never too late to meet her in the upstairs hallway and read to her the day's schedule as she paraded down to her car.  
"Madame President, good morning. This morning there is a stockholders' meeting in the upper level conference room at ten o'clock. Following that, you have a lunch date with Mister Gates at the Rainbow Room, and after your appointment with the heads of research and development at noon, the chairman of the O'okawahara Group has requested you meet her for tea."  
Down the stairs she glided, pearly shoes on red velvet, into a gleaming marble lobby. At the front door, she paused briefly and, with a wave of her hand, cut off the reading of her schedule. Her secretary had learned the subtleties of her movement by now, and before her hand fully extended, the next section of the schedule had died, unvoiced, in his throat. Kaede, meanwhile, had focused her attention on the musclebound man who stood at the front door like a pillar.  
"Tsukasa-san is at home today," she said briskly, crisply. "You are to make sure he has no visitors. I will not tolerate any mistakes. I would hate to have to fire any other members of your staff," she added sharply, her voice cutting the air like the point of a blade. The high heel of her shoe pivoted, and she went out the door.  
  
The Tsukushi in the mirror looked decidedly nervous. As she reached out for the hairbrush lying just in front of the glass, she had an urge to reach out and touch the real Tsukushi, to make sure she knew which was her world and which was the other one. After all, the real Tsukushi was having some difficulty telling.  
She ran the brush through her hair, her hand shaking slightly and whipping the chestnut strands into a slight froth, then patting it down again with nervous fingers. Never before had just brushing her hair been such a nerve-wracking activity. It occurred to Tsukushi that she was acting like a junior high schooler - all flighty and scatterbrained - but she was powerless against it. She was going to see Tsukasa today. And the knowledge of that had gathered like a lump of pressure on the back of her neck and taken control of her brain.  
A bright-sounding knock sounded from the door behind her, and Shigeru's equally sunny face beamed at her from the peephole. She called Tsukushi's name in an enthusiastic voice, and when the door opened, flung her arms around her with a squeal. "I'm so excited!" she giggled, ruining all the careful brushing Tsukushi had done of her hair with one overenthusiastic motion. "Today's the day, today's the day!" she sang, then stopped as she saw the hesitation in Tsukushi's expression. "What's wrong?"  
Tsukushi turned earnest eyes to her friend. "It's the funniest thing," she said. "I'm nervous."  
"That's not so funny," Shigeru said. "It's going to be a pain to sneak you in. Even with the plans you made with that contact of yours last night."  
"No, that's not it," Tsukushi said. Her eyes wavered and her lip trembled, as if not sure whether to laugh or cry. "I... I'm afraid that... no, it's not that I'm afraid he won't care anymore. But... I..."  
"Oh, spit it out!" Shigeru said, patting Tsukushi's cheek lightly.  
Tsukushi did the best she could. Wincing with all her might, she forced the words from behind her tongue and out into the air. "It's just that I'm going to see Doumyouji... and... it's been a while, and..." In one jumbled breath, it all came out. "........and I want to look good for him!!"  
Shigeru doubled over laughing.  
  
"Ack!" Tsukushi almost dug herself a hole in the hotel room carpet right there. "What am I saying!? I knew I shouldn't have said anything! Stop laughing, would you?" She scowled as hard as she could, trying to summon up the spirited anger she knew she had inside. "Shigeru-san!!"  
"I'm sorry... Tsukushi..." Shigeru wiped tears from her eyes. "It's just... that's so cute...!"  
"Cute?" Tsukushi's eyes registered huge question marks. She frowned again. "What are you implying?"  
Shigeru took Tsukushi's face in her hands. She leaned forward and touched her forehead to Tsukushi's, blonde hair sifting into the rich brown of her bangs. Smiling, she said in a low voice, "It's normal to want to look good when you see the person you love. I may be from a different world than you, Tsukushi, but I'm sure it's the same no matter where you come from or who you are. Am I wrong?"  
"Shigeru-san..." Tsukushi's irritation faded. Shigeru's breath was warm on her face, and Tsukushi felt treasured, cared for in that moment. It wasn't the same as a lover's warmth, but Shigeru's was that of a friend, and it was more comforting and encouraging than she'd imagined it could be. Her eyes lowered.  
"Everything's going to be fine," Shigeru near-whispered. "Tsukasa loves you. He's going to be so happy. Ah, I almost wish I could be there to see it. It's so romantic!" Her voice nearly escalated to a squeal, but then calmed again. "I promise, Tsukushi. Everything will be all right."  
"Thank you, Shigeru-san," Tsukushi answered warmly.  
  
At one o'clock, the game began. The clock ticked its way into place, its gears turning smoothly, teeth just missing one another in the most delicate of dances, dragging time methodically into the future. At one o'clock, Tsukushi got into a car which led her out of the city and wheeled silently toward the Doumyouji mansion. Shigeru left the curb at one oh-two after seeing Tsukushi off, and returned to her room to change clothes at one oh-four. At one-seventeen, Doumyouji Kaede left her meeting and called her driver to be ready to take her to her appointment at one forty-five. At one thirty-four, Shigeru boarded a taxi and sped off towards a high-class tea room on the north side of town. At one thirty-seven, Tama left her station at the maids' house and went to the front gate to await Tsukushi's arrival. At the same exact time, one fifty-four and forty seconds, Tsukushi and Kaede both arrived at their destinations.  
Kaede's entrance into the small, upscale cafe on Lexington Avenue did not go unnoticed. Filled as it was with businesspeople and celebrities, the cafe simply could not go on with its conversations and tea-sipping if a personage of such great importance had entered the vicinity. Clinks of porcelain and rustles of tablecloths ceased at her appearance; voices trailed off and waiters scrambled to stand at attention.  
"O'okawahara." One word to the maitre'd, who silently (hiding a gulp) began to walk toward a table in the back of the restaurant. The figure seated there was perusing the menu, but at the hush that surrounded every click of Kaede's shoes, she put her menu down and rose in greeting. But this wasn't the executive Kaede had expected to meet.  
Shigeru was wearing a smart, lavender blazer with a matching skirt of impeccable taste. Her hair was combed to perfection, and her lips shimmered with a touch of color. Two exquisite golden rings hung from each ear, and a single strand of pearls glittered at her throat. On the table at her side was a stack of business papers. She smiled disarmingly and curtsied in her best finishing school manner. "Doumyouji-obasama."  
"Pardon me, Shigeru-san," Kaede said briskly, "but I have an appointment with your mother. Will she be returning soon?"  
"Your appointment," Shigeru said smartly, "is with me."  
Kaede turned to leave. "I haven't got the time for this," she snapped.  
"Haven't you?" Shigeru mocked her tone. "What sort of president are you then, to walk out on a client who's made an appointment with you? How do you know I haven't got something important to say?"  
"Nonsense," Kaede retorted, not even turning back to face her. She headed for the door.  
"My goodness," Shigeru said in a slightly lighter voice, "I wonder how you might react if someone were to walk out on your son in this manner. Word HAS reached us of his training, you know."  
She was nearly to the door, but somehow Kaede couldn't ignore this. She turned on her heel to probe Shigeru's face with hawklike eyes.  
"In fact," Shigeru went on, "my mother was quite pleased with the idea. I do recall her saying something to the effect of 'It's so impressive to show that much faith in the young.' I'd hate to have to report to her that I'd encountered such a double standard in my first executive venture. Wouldn't that be a shame?"  
Kaede paused a long moment. Her eyes flashed ice and fire at Shigeru, but the girl didn't budge an inch even under such a frightening glare. Instead, she continued to smile smartly at her, gesturing to the opposite chair in a pose of invitation. Finally, she begin to walk in slow, wary steps, back toward the table.  
"That's more like it," Shigeru smiled. "I don't think we've ever talked together, you and I. I do believe we have a great deal to discuss. If you don't believe me, sit down and let me tell you more about it."  
  
"I will come to the room and knock four times if the mistress returns," Tama informed Tsukushi as she put on the old familiar maid's outfit. It felt strangely nostalgic... heart-pounding. Even the smell of the fabric, the feeling of it against her skin, was familiar. It made her think of days now long past, days of hard work and tension-filled nights, afraid of the stirring feelings in her soul every time he got too close to her.   
And it made her think of one night in particular. The night rubies sparkled at her throat, and she could neither breathe nor move, but lay receiving... no.... opening herself to his kisses, as his thumb caressed her wrist and her forehead gently, cradling her like she was someone precious, someone he had to take care not to break. Yet his lips tasted of passion, and their touch whispered to her of possession... though who was the possessor that night she still wasn't sure. Had it been him, who'd silenced her every cry of protest? Had it been her, who'd encited him to such a passion? Or, perhaps, in that empty room, past midnight, with the sparkling ringed planet in the sky watching over them, they had been neither possessors nor possessions, but equals even in madness, holding hands as they fell through eternity. Just perhaps, they might have been lovers.  
Tsukushi felt her face getting hot with the memory, and Tama clicked her tongue at her, trying desperately to suppress a smile. "Now, the room is monitored," she lectured to a red-faced Tsukushi as she led her down the hallways. "The young master should know where each of the cameras are hidden, but until he disables them, you mustn't do anything suspicious. Act like a maid until he lets you know it's safe. I realize you're eager to see the young master again," Tama added with a chuckle, "but do restrain yourself."  
"Tama-senpai, thank you so much," Tsukushi said, smiling genuinely. "You've always been so kind to me..."  
"Now, now," Tama reproached. "We have no time for this sort of sentimentality. Go on, now. See the young master." But Tsukushi couldn't help reaching over to embrace the old woman, who patted her shoulder gently in return. And holding in a breath, she turned to the impressive paneled door.  
  
::Doumyouji.  
I'm coming to see you now.::  
  
She took a deep breath, placed her hand on the doorknob, and went in. 


	6. Part 6

PART VI  
  
Tsukasa was working hard on some papers when the maid came in. "Pardon me, young master," she said in a muted voice, and began to clean. Tsukasa's shoulders stirred slightly, but other than that, he didn't respond to the appearance of the woman behind him.  
She sprayed some liquid onto a dustrag and began to work. "Can you really do work in a place as dusty as this?" she murmured not-quite under her breath. He didn't respond, and she went on, putting an odd emphasis on her words. "I mean, for a weed like myself, I wouldn't have any other choice, but..."  
At the sound of the word "weed," Tsukasa turned a little. The maid averted her eyes quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry, young master." she apologized. "Forgive me for interrupting your work. I'll be quieter."  
Half-turned but still unable to see her face, Tsukasa remained frozen a moment. A sound moved from the back of his throat into the air. "Ma--"  
"Maids aren't supposed to speak, I know," the maid interrupted hastily. "And Tama-senpai told me I must act like a perfect maid. Otherwise," she added meaningfully, "I'll be caught on camera and that will be the end of me. Do you know what I mean, young master?"  
Tsukasa turned his back to her again and rose to his feet. "...Yeah," he said slowly. "But keep talking. Just so I know you're still here."  
If he'd been facing her, Tsukasa would have seen a grin of delight cross the young girl's face. "All right... but what should I talk about? Now that you've asked me to talk, I can't think of a thing to say..."  
"Anything's good," said Tsukasa, a pensive, musing tone to his voice. "Tell me a story or something." He had crossed the room to the mantle and was carefully rearranging the items that stood there, huddling them in a tight group.  
The maid knelt and began polishing the floors with long, earnest strokes. "A story.... all right then," she said softly. "Once upon a time, there was a prince who lived in his castle. And he decided one of the common people should be his princess."  
  
  
"I was thinking the other day," Shigeru commented lightly as she stirred her tea, "about Princess Diana."  
"Diana?" Kaede was still wary. Although she had sat down at the table opposite the young girl, she was still not sure what she had in store... and being spoken to so cattily by a member of her children's generation was somewhat irritating. Still, the O'okawahara Group was an important connection, and if she ever wanted to get her hands on those oil holdings, she had to play nicely.  
"What a shame, what happened to her," the blonde sighed. "Don't you agree, ma'am? That fame should be her undoing. But I suppose once you leave a normal life, you can never return to it."  
"She had a good amount to be thankful for," Kaede snorted. "If she chose to throw that away, it was her own waste. But I fail to see how this connects with my reason for being here, O'okawahara-san. Have you got something to say that's relevant?"  
  
  
Tsukasa had walked about the room several times, throwing his coat across the back of a sofa, fixing the hands of a grandfather clock to the wrong time, opening and closing various closet doors in a steady rhythm. Meanwhile, the maid had continued her story, and her voice had lost its sickly sweet lilt in the telling and become a much truer, rounder tone.  
"The girl he chose would have rather lived on a farm than in a castle. But the prince was determined to make her his, and so he captured her and locked her in a tower. She tried to escape so many times, even though she had everything she could ever wish for in the fancy rooms of the palace. The prince visited her every day to talk to her and make sure she was happy, but she wasn't, and he didn't understand why.  
"Finally he gave up and let her go," the maid said softly. "And the girl was happy as she always was, and free, but she found herself lacking something. Then she realized that the one thing she truly missed was the prince. All the things he'd offered her meant nothing, but seeing his face every day and talking to him had become something precious to her. So even if the prince had let her go," she said softly, "she found she couldn't let him go. So back to the palace she went... just to see him again."  
The silence after her words seemed long and pronounced. Tsukasa was kneeling on the floor examining the pipes running from the walls to the heating vents, the maid still scrubbing the floor just in back of him. For a long moment, nothing seemed to move or even breathe in the room.  
"Can I see that rag a moment?" Tsukasa asked.  
"Huh?" The maid was surprised. "Sure..." She stretched forward to pass it over his shoulder. With a single, deft movement, he draped it over the mouth of one of the heating pipes.  
"That should do it," he said.  
And he reached back.  
His whole body turning, in one movement, he grabbed the maid's wrist - pulled her in to meet him - a hand on her waist - supporting her - her body going limp - the warmth of his arms - the strength of his muscles - so tense - oh god it felt like it had been so long --  
  
two sets of eyes meeting for just a moment, just a flash of recognition, a confirmation -  
  
and oh how he kissed her then - his lips - his breath - his hands holding her whole body so close, ever closer, closer, like he never wanted to be even a breath away from her ever again... her hands found their way into his hair... her eyes welled with tears.... but not tears of fear, tears of joy and relief ... and how well she kissed him back...!  
"How did you..?" he began to say.  
"Shh, kiss me more," she begged. And he did.  
  
  
"Oh, I think it's relevant," Shigeru said, a wicked glisten in her eye. "Do you know what your company lacks, oba-sama? Besides the oil holdings you desperately tried to get at through me, that is," she couldn't help adding slyly.  
Shigeru smiled cattily. "Perspective," she said.  
"I beg your pardon?" Kaede asked.  
"Consider the Prince of Wales," Shigeru went on. "Not particularly well-liked, rather distanced from the population. Rather ineffective as a figurehead, really. But what was the turning point then? When he found a girl with no ties to the royal house, someone simple but beautiful in her simplicity, and began to woo her with everything he had.  
"Of course, the problem there was that Diana became more popular than Prince Charles did," she sighed, grinning. "But I suppose that's the risk you run as royalty. You can stay happy with the familiar faces of the royal court and be liked for what you are instead of who you are. Or you can do something that will make the world frown on you. But in the case the world accepts, those who frown on you will be the bigger fools in the public eye.  
"And the bigger fool, obasama, is what I think you run the risk of becoming."   
Kaede leaned over the table, glaring. "You talk a good deal, young O'okawahara-san. But do you think I truly believe this is part of some sort of executive training?"  
Shigeru's eyes widened. "I'm sorry?"  
The woman's brow furrowed in disgust. "I know what you are trying to say," she said in a contemptuous voice, a fist under the table tightening, red nails cutting into flesh. "You are talking about my son and Makino Tsukushi, aren't you?"  
  
  
  
"Makino..." When he finally caught his runaway breath, he clutched her tight, buried a hand in her hair, whispered her name. "How on earth did you get here?"  
"I wanted to see you," she said simply.  
The hot pressure of his hands on her back, her hair, ever-strengthened. "Are you okay? Are you safe? Did they do anything to you?" he questioned repeatedly.  
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she whispered.  
"I'd have killed them all if they'd dared touch you," he growled.  
"Doumyouji..." she laughed lightly. "Don't get violent without a reason."  
"I did nothing but think about you," he said, the passionate growl still in his voice.  
"Liar."  
"What was that!?" For the first time since he'd first grabbed her, he broke the embrace and held her at arm's length. His frown was nearly a pout in its intensity, and Tsukushi felt like laughing at it.  
"What was what?" she couldn't help countering. "You lied, so I called you a liar."  
"It's not a lie!" he insisted.  
"Aha, is that so?" she laughed. "Mister Executive Training."  
He sucked in a breath. "You knew?"  
Her eyes lowered. "For a while... I kind of thought you had... chosen the company over me," she admitted, her voice shaking more than she'd intended.  
For a long moment, Tsukasa forgot to exhale. "What?" he finally said, and his hands on her shoulders tightened like vises. She winced a little with the pressure of it.   
His temper rose like the fur on a cat's back, and he hissed like a jungle beast cornered in its own den. "What the hell are you talking about?" he raged. "Don't talk like that!"  
"But..." Tsukushi found that at saying those words out loud, her eyes had begun to tear. Perhaps the insecurities had not withered away entirely. Her voice faltered.  
"You're goddamned dumb!" Tsukasa went on, his voice growing ever more savage. "Without you that's all meaningless! It doesn't matter what I do, Makino," he shouted, his voice coming to a ruthless climax in its intensity, "no matter what, I still need you!!"  
In answer, Tsukushi raised one of her hands and loosened his grip on her shoulders by slipping her hand over his. She drew his hands away, interlacing her fingers with his as he stared mutely. Hands clasping his, she looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she said simply, smiling. "I think... I needed to hear that."  
Tsukasa's red-faced anger turned quickly into heart-pounding embarrassment. "Makino..."  
"It's okay now," she said in a weakening voice. All the tension and nervousness she'd felt in the steps leading up to this reunion finally overwhelmed her, and she trembled and collapsed against him, eyes rolling towards the ceiling and sliding shut. "It's all right now, Doumyouji..." she whispered, devoid of strength, all her defenses down for the count. Here, with him, after so many days of being proud and strong, she could finally let someone else support her. She leaned on him in body and in soul.  
"Ma...kino..." Tsukasa's arms rose up to encircle her. Somehow she was all flushed and fluttering under his grasp, head drowsily dropped against his chest. The most powerful woman he'd ever known had exhausted her strength, and she was looking to him to lend her some. To HIM! He felt like the strongest man alive. And in that moment, she...  
...was more fragile and beautiful than a butterfly and how he longed to lay her down and spread her butterfly wings, to hold her and touch her in every way and...  
He shook his head forcefully and forced those thoughts away. They were for another time, another place, somewhere when they were free to be themselves. Not here in this house of a demon where they had just been reunited. Arms wrapped tight around her, he rested his head on hers. "I missed you," he whispered.   
"Me too." Her voice was just the barest shred of a whisper, but with the line of her jaw pressed against his body, he could hear her words just the same. "C...can we stay like this for a little while longer?"  
He breathed in deeply and touched his lips to her hair. "As long as you want, Makino. Forever, if you want."  
Her response was just, "I'm glad."  
  
  
"Oh, not really," Shigeru said flippantly. "I think Tsukushi can do better than Tsukasa, personally."  
This hit Kaede between the eyes, and she visibly shook with the absurdity of it. "Excuse me?" Her voice nearly-- not quite-- stuttered.   
"She can do better," Shigeru smiled. "What I'm talking about, oba-sama, is the company's outlook. In any case-"  
"And exactly what," Kaede interrupted, "are you implying by that remark?" She scowled darkly.  
"Eh?" Shigeru stopped in mid-rant, and sighed wearily. "You're not going to let this go, are you? Oh well, I might as well explain myself." She allowed herself the luxury of an inner cheer-- she'd actually get to tell this woman something about the way she was ruining poor Tsukasa's life! Hooray!  
"You see, Tsukushi's a great woman. Smart, pretty, popular, has a good head on her shoulders. But what's Tsukasa? That moron has his whole life decided for him. Even if he was smart-- which he's not-- he never gets a chance to show it, with everything always forced on him or served to him on a silver platter. He can't keep up with a girl like Tsukushi. Not on his life!"  
"So you're saying my son is incapable of making decisions?" Kaede retorted.  
"Well, that's the thing!" Shigeru took a deep gulp of tea and swallowed it uncermoniously. "Even if he could, he never gets to. So how would I know?  
"But hey," she continued quickly, not allowing Kaede to react to the jab, "there's no accounting for taste. Though honestly if I were Tsukushi I'd seek out greener pastures. I honestly don't know what she's doing wasting her time trying to see him, but..."  
At that, a flash of recognition flew through Kaede's eyes.   
Shigeru fell silent almost immediately. Even with the gift of gab she'd been displaying, she knew there was no mistaking what she'd just said. No taking it back.  
Kaede rose to her feet. Her eyes flashed icy fire. "I see." They were the only two words she had to say.  
Shigeru gulped.   
  
::DAMN!::  



	7. Part 7

PART VII   
  
"I see now what you've been doing," Kaede said as she rose to her full height. "You had better hope I make it there in time, for your sake, O'okawahara-san." And off she went.  
"Oba-sama..." Shigeru raised one hand, but it was too late. There was nothing she could do. Kaede was gone.  
  
Shigeru didn't move for a good ten minutes. The cafe bustled around her. People came and went, casting glances at the frozen figure of the girl and sharing confused looks with each other. But this was too classy an establishment for anyone to push her out, so there she sat, petrified, mind utterly frozen. Then, abruptly, she came to life again.  
"AGGHHH!!"   
The entire cafe turned to stare.  
Shigeru bolted upwards from her seat. "Gotta warn them. Gotta get to them somehow. Oh, but Tsukushi said her stuff was stolen! I should have bought her a new cell phone the minute I found out!" She sat back down for a split second, then rose to her feet again. "Maybe I could call the house? No, there's no way. 'Hello, security? Could you please tell the intruder on the second floor not to get caught?' UGH! I'm so STUPID!"  
Having a young woman bouncing up and down from her seat and whining out loud was a new experience for the staff of this particular establishment. Especially since they didn't understand a word the girl was saying. But the stares weren't enough to faze her. "Gahhh...!!" Shigeru whined out loud to a non-comprehending cafe. "I'm the worst...!!!" She buried her head in her hands and moaned in agony against the smooth marble of the table.   
"Now, now," came a gentle voice at her ear. "Please, young lady, don't say such things about yourself."  
"Eh!?" Shigeru bolted upwards at the shock of a sudden voice (and one speaking her language at that!) -- and with a sickening thunk, her head smashed directly into the one just behind her. Whoever it was doubled over in pain. Shigeru flung herself back onto the tabletop. "Ahhh, I really AM the worst!!"  
Distraught beyond reason, Shigeru didn't look up at her unfortunate victim even when his voice intoned again. He spoke in a voice as smooth as chocolate, deep and warm and rich. "Now, now," he repeated, laying a firm hand on one of her hunched shoulders. "Tears don't suit a lovely young lady such as yourself."  
Even through her tears, Shigeru had enough presence of mind to jerk away. "Geh..!" she spit out in panic. "Skirt-chaser!!"  
Her companion found this accusation most amusing. He laughed a full, round laugh. "Hohohoho..." he chuckled. "Is that what you think? Raise your head a little, my dear."  
Shigeru hesitantly obeyed, and as she did, the man walked around the table to face her. His gentle face was creased with deep furrows, and although he was far from being an old man, he certainly was not a young one. His hair tumbled thick and dark around his ears, and where it fell free, and where it clustered about his mouth and chin, it curled like dark coiled wire. The smile that beamed at her was gentle, and reflected in dark eyes with the slightest hint of royal purple. He seemed a person surrounded by nobility - there seemed to be an aura of that same regal shade of violet wrapped around him like a king's robe. Shigeru was breathless.  
The pleasant smile never wavered. "See? An old man like me could never hope to catch a young lady like you, even if he tried. I'm simply not fast enough." The lines around his eyes deepened with laughter. "You seem a little bit like my daughter, strong-willed and lovely. I always hated to see her cry, and I'd hate to see you keep crying, as well."  
Shigeru was silent. The tears dropped silently down her cheeks and hovered on her shivering lower lip.  
"Are you afraid of me, my dear? You're still trembling."  
For the first time since he'd appeared, Shigeru found the courage to speak to the concerned man. "No, ojisan," she said demurely. "But I can't help the tears. I've just betrayed my dear friend."  
"Betrayed?" Thick dark eyebrows shot upward. "Strong words. I'm sure it can't be that bad."  
"..." Shigeru's misty eyes wavered hesitantly. She felt as though she were going to melt under the wave of compassion he was drowning her with.  
The man took the seat opposite her and nodded gently. "Now then. I'll treat you to another cup of tea, and you tell Takehiko-ojisan everything."  
  
  
"You're kidding me. It was even on TV?" Tsukasa's jaw had dropped nearly to the floor.  
"You didn't figure that out? I bet it was on the front page of a bunch of newspapers, too."  
They were sitting side by side on the floor of his room, leaning against the wall. Tsukasa's fist hit the wooden slats of the floor. "Damn! What lousy luck! That idiotic noisy ballgame. I knew we shouldn't have gone."  
"Sorry," Tsukushi couldn't help smiling even as she apologized. "I was the one who insisted we go."  
"Damn it!" he ranted, his anger cooling only when the sound of her musical giggles reached his ears. "But never mind that, Makino," he went on, "how did you make it here?"  
"Oh, I had help," Tsukushi said. She sighed contentedly, putting a hand on her heart. She felt so warm now, lifted by the gladness in so many hearts, whispering to her from across two oceans... ::you did it!:: And of course, her own heart sparkled at the gladness she felt from this man sitting beside her, knowing he'd... oh god, she felt embarrassed to even think it... knowing he'd missed her as much as she'd missed him. Tsukushi felt a little out of control, like she was going to overflow.  
"Help?" Tsukasa raised an eyebrow.  
"Yeah," Tsukushi murmured. "Tama-senpai.. oh, and Thomas..."  
"That blondie!?" He practically popped a blood vessel just at the sound of the name.  
"Yeah, and Shigeru-san, too."  
"Shigeru?" This surprised him even more.  
Tsukushi nodded. "She even came to New York. Amazing, huh? Even right now, she's helping us."  
  
  
"And now she's going to catch them and it's all my fault!" Shigeru sniffled, steamy tea misting her raw red eyes. Her face was a picture of perfect misery... big tear-filled eyes turned all shades of wrong, trembling lower lip, flushed cheeks stained still further with the warmth of the teacup she held delicately, like it was her last bastion of comfort.  
The man called Takehiko rested his palm on his chin pensively. "That doesn't sound like betrayal to me so much as bad luck. After all, to go this far you must really care for both of them. You're a good friend."  
Shigeru's already red cheeks deepened their flush "Well, Tsukushi is a really special person. I figure if anyone deserves to be happy, she does."  
"What a strong name that is," he said gravely. "And yet lovely."  
Shigeru felt a smile creeping onto her face. "That's exactly how she is."   
"And you must care for the young man a great deal as well," Takehiko observed.  
"Well... actually..." Lulled by the taste of the warm tea, Shigeru found words bubbling up onto her lip before her tact could bite them down. "I used to.. sort of... be in love with him myself."  
"Oh?" One of Takehiko's dark eyebrows arched quizzically. "What a lucky man, to be loved so by two such marvelous young women. But to help your friend out so is admirable. What about your feelings? Are you still in love with him, or not anymore?"  
"That's a good question, actually," Shigeru sighed. "Do I still love Tsukasa or don't I? Until a while ago I could have sworn I did, but..."  
"You refer to him by his first name," the man observed.  
"I know, and Tsukushi still calls him Doumyouji!" Shigeru laughed. "Isn't it weird?" She stopped as she realized her lips were curving upward, that she was smiling. Somehow this man's presence was actually cheering her up. He was comforting somehow, like a fog of warm air settled around him wherever he went. Still, whenever she thought of the danger Tsukasa and Tsukushi were in, she felt sick at heart... "Oh, man, if only there was something I could do," she whined again, staring into her teacup as though trying to drown herself in it.  
"Then," Takehiko said deliberately, "perhaps you are the lucky one."  
"Eh!?" Shigeru's head snapped up to stare at him.  
He was already at his feet, wrapping a thick brown coat around his shoulders. "If this is the Doumyouji I think you're talking about, I have business with them. Shall we head out there now and see what we can do?"  
Shigeru blinked.  
She swallowed.  
She rose to her feet.  
Her head began to swim. "Ojisan..." she finally stuttered. "Who ARE you?"  
He was already at the door. "I'm the mysterious knight in shining armor," he said without turning back. "Come on, let's go."  
  
Tama heard the door slam shut like the crack of doom. All at once her joints failed her, and she fell backwards onto her chair even as she desperately tried to rise. Her aged heart beat at the pace of those high-heeled footsteps, brisk and fevered, merciless. She fought to get up, but her body refused to cooperate, too frozen with panic and the rustiness of age to keep up with her racing mind. And even if she sprang to life now, she realized as the pitch of the footsteps changed as they ascended the staircase, she would still be too late. All she could do now was pray.  
Dear God, she thought desperately. Someone, anyone, warn those children!  
  
"Doumyouji!! Wait a second!"  
It was an old, familiar scene. Tsukushi tried to scramble across the floor, tripping over the bulky maid's skirt, as Tsukasa held her wrist tight, trying desperately to pull her closer. "This isn't the time for this!" she protested. "We have to figure out what to do now!"  
"You owe me," he pointed out. "You were stingy before I left and wouldn't kiss me."  
"But I did just now...!" Tsukushi protested. "Don't you think of anything else?"  
Tsukasa was coming ever-closer. "That doesn't count. I want an extra."  
"You're so greedy!" she cried in frustration. Somehow, though, her heart was singing. This was the kind of problem she'd rather deal with in her life-- better an overenthusiastic Tsukasa than no Tsukasa at all. She was relieved.   
Relieved, perhaps, but still! Would he EVER cool down?!  
"Makino." The words burst like firecrackers, hot and loud onto her skin. In her moment of introspection, she'd let her guard down, and now he had her by the waist, holding her wrist tightly with his other hand. His eyes were full of fire and his face came ever-closer... Tsukushi felt her own heartbeat speed up and her strength start to drain away. Giving up her resistance, she let her eyes slit closed...  
and then they flew wide open.  
With a bang, the back of the door slammed against the wall of the room and came flying in the other direction. A hand stopped it in mid-rebound, clutching the door handle with a white-knuckled fist. A scowl filled the doorway.  
There was no escape now.  



	8. Part 8

Sorry about the Japanese phrase in here. I'd give you the meaning of it now, but that'd be a spoiler... and I just couldn't bear to use an English equivalent. Well, I'm sure you'll know what it means when you get to it.  
  
----  
  
PART VIII  
  
"I thought so."  
  
Three cold words flew into the air and landed, fluttering, on the hard wooden slats of the floor. They melted like snowflakes in the middle of this Bermuda triangle, more deadly than the one of legend, where sounds and thoughts fell into a void of tension, never to be heard from again.  
At one point stood Doumyouji Kaede like a white tower of flame. Barely trembling, her face pallid with shock and fury, her monstrous height rising to fill the doorway in which she stood. A monolith constructed of pure outrage.  
And far from her yet close to each other, the two other points of the triangle, two young faces with huge quavering brown eyes, suddenly unable to move as if pinned in place by that creature's stare. The lines of the figure pulled taut around them as the pull of this triangle of dark magic took even their gasps of surprise and brought them to naught. The room fell into a deep silence.  
Tsukushi had pulled instinctively away from Tsukasa's grasp, but his hand remained firmy wrapped about her wrist like a single point of warmth in the suddenly chilling scene. She had the feeling that if she made him let go of her now, she might never feel that warmth again. So instead, she slipped her hand down into his, and this movement, this gesture of trust and emotion, spurred him to action.  
"What do you want now, bitch!?" he shouted. "What are you thinking this time?"  
She stood another moment in silence, and then smiled.  
"What am I thinking?" she repeated bemusedly. "Why, Tsukasa, I do believe that is the question I ought to be asking you. Are you even thinking at all? After all you've done so far, I must admit I am surprised that you still haven't seen past this..." she waved an idle hand at Tsukushi... "hobby of yours. But I suppose that I haven't been altogether clear with you, in that case."  
Tsukasa's eyebrows furrowed in rage. "Whatever it is, spit it out," he said in a low voice.  
"I really shouldn't need to." Although Kaede was aiming for the same nonchalant tone as she usually used to deliver her threats, somehow it wasn't coming out right. She sounded too upset, too tense, and Tsukushi knew it and noticed it. She'd been worn down to the core, and she was weak. Still, Tsukushi remained silent, watching the mother and son stare at each other and make unspoken accusations with their eyes.  
"Nevertheless," she went on wearily, "let me remind you. Have you forgotten what you've been doing these past few days? You have more than proven your ability to be a leader of this company - no, this family - in the future, and pardon my presumption, but I had imagined you were becoming aware of that as well. I recall you telling me, 'It's fun.' Am I wrong?"  
Tsukasa's jaw shut, and he listened to his mother with a steady but suspicious gaze.  
"Yet you insist on jeopardizing your future by associating with this young lady, who has no reason to associate with you other than her own ambition, and would truly find herself unsuited for the world she would be entering. Therefore, I have tried to remove her from your path. I would have thought you'd have finally understood by now. Especially given your recent experiences. Consider it well, Tsukasa. This is the happiest I've ever seen you. Do you want to throw this happiness away?"  
At hearing this, Tsukasa shivered for an instant, and then his head dropped to stare at the floor. The shadow of his hair obscured his features. He stood stock still.  
Tsukushi froze in an instant of shock. Why had his face fallen like that? Had she been wrong? Was there really reason to doubt him after all?  
Doumyouji. Why aren't you saying anything?  
Her eyes pleaded silently upwards at his face, that face still in shadow, and her heart flew into her throat. You're not listening to her! You can't be seriously thinking about what she's saying! Not after what you told me! her mind begged, not knowing if he could sense her desperation. The very fabric of Time itself seemed to hang heavily from his lowered head.  
And then, his eyes lit with fire.  
Tsukushi just saw a blur of motion at first... two blazing eyes and then a blur. Then she let out a yelp of shock.  
Tsukasa had flown across the room and pinned Kaede to the wall, his fists at her collar, his face a dark stormcloud of anger. She gasped in surprise, lost control of her breath for a moment, and turned white under the pressure of his hands. That cunning mouth, always over-adorned with some shade of blood-red, opened in surprise.  
"If there was EVER," he growled, punctuating his words by shaking his mother's shoulders viciously, "EVER a time when I respected you, thought you cared for me just a little bit, it's gone." He burst into a shout. "You just killed it!!"  
Tsukushi sat back against the wall, her hands cupped over her mouth. She didn't know what to feel at a moment like this. Tsukasa was raging again, being hopelessly violent, being that frightening untamed beast that she feared so. But he was doing it for her, and no little part of her felt happy at that. Still... still... how terrifying, to be in this room now, alone with a witch and a rampant demon, all at once!   
"Screw your goddamn company!" Tsukasa cursed. "If that's what I have to choose, then forget about it! You want to talk about happy?" He punctuated the word with a sharp rise in his voice. "I'm _happy_ when I'm with Makino! And I'm never going to let go of her. No matter what you do or say!" He stood there a long moment, arms trembling with anger, unable to say any more.  
Kaede lifted one arm and placed it on his firmly. Slowly, deliberately, she pushed him back, relaxing the tense arms that held her in place. "My poor, naive son," she said, her face a grotesque mask of feigned concern. "I do not doubt the strength of your emotion. But you should know, Tsukasa. You should know what kinds of traps women lay. It will hurt you, but I will show you."  
Pushing Tsukasa to the side with a movement that allowed no inteference, she walked slowly over toward Tsukushi. "Women like Makino-san," she began, "work hard all their lives, and never see success. It isn't that they wouldn't like to be noble, I'm sure," she added with the bitter tang of sarcasm hot on her tongue. "But no matter how hard they try, they can never escape from a difficult lifestyle, where they must struggle simply to feed themselves and their family. So they must find a different way to obtain what they need.  
"You see, Makino-san," Kaede turned to Tsukushi briefly, "I do know the plight of the poor. You were mistaken to assume otherwise. Let me ask you, Makino-san, and give me a direct answer. After arriving at Eitoku Academy, is it not true that your family's financial situation became progressively worse?"  
Tsukushi reddened. She wanted to strangle the witch, but how could she when what she said was true?  
"You had to move to a smaller apartment twice, and subsequently your parents left the city to find work. Is this correct?" Tsukushi found herself nodding despite her best efforts.  
"And at the same time, Tsukasa," Kaede continued, eyes focusing on her son once more, "wasn't Makino-san's interest in you only stirred after these things happened? Isn't it true that as her family became poorer and poorer, she sought out your company more and more? As I understand things, at first she harbored a very negative opinion of you. Only when she found you were willing to meet her needs did she begin to show interest in you. Am I wrong?"  
Kaede's eyes sparkled with long-awaited triumph as neither one of the two responded. "I'm sorry to have to point this out, Tsukasa. Truly, I am. But you must acknowledge that these facts lead to only one conclusion. That what this girl wants," Kaede stretched out her long arm and pointed sharply to Tsukushi, "is not you, but the easy life you can give her. It's the only true way to interpret these circumstances. I had hoped to remove her from your life without having to say these things to you, but it appears that..."  
"Hold it."  
Kaede and Tsukasa turned.  
"Hold it right there," Tsukushi said, steel in her voice. "You stop talking right now."  
"Makino-san, you will be quiet," Kaede said in her authoritarian voice, but Tsukushi had begun walking.  
Eyes clear, she approached Kaede. "Easy?" she said, striding steadily across the room. "There's not one bit of this whole thing that's been easy. That's the most ridiculous evidence I've ever heard."   
She came to a standstill barely a foot from the woman, and looked unabashed into her cold eyes. Kaede stared down at her in response. The weed and the maple, face to face. Both strong, both proud, both unwilling to let go.  
"How dare you," Tsukushi said. Her tone was not one of anger; calm, unruffled, she faced her enemy, the light of justice shining in her eyes. "How dare you accuse me of plotting to get your money. If you knew anything about me, you'd know THAT is the one thing I'd rather die than do."  
Her clenched fists relaxed and she gazed at the woman with a serene expression. "You have tried over and over to get in the way of my life," she said. "To destroy me, destroy my family and friends, and to destroy whatever connection I may or may not have had to your son. But you keep failing. You're a failure. And do you know why?"   
Kaede's expression had become one of horror at the words, but Tsukushi went on. "Do you know why you haven't won against me yet? Because you keep assuming money will control my life. What you haven't realized is that I've been fighting that since day one. It's the opposite of who I am. Your money is something I don't want or need. And until you realize that, you're just going to keep losing and losing."  
Kaede stared.   
Then before her horrified eyes, Tsukushi's lips curved upwards.  
She was smiling at her.  
Smiling a smile of sheer truth. Like an angel who knew the way of God.  
"You can't defeat me," she said.  
  
Somewhere, something in Doumyouji Kaede's tightly strung brain, something snapped. A chord of bitterness, carefully controlled for years on end, made an off-key twanging noise and burst to shreds inside her head, making her skull vibrate with the force of it. She clapped her hands to her ears, trying to drown out the sound, and she nearly doubled over. Tsukasa's eyes widened in shock, and he started moving towards Tsukushi. But by then, it was too late.  
Kaede's head snapped back up and her face was a yellowish-white mask of rage. The color was unnatural - the paleness of madness. Her eyes blazed near orange with their intensity, and every muscle in her face was tensed. A deep throaty scream rose up from within her as she began to move.  
"I... will.. kill you!"  
And blindingly, at lightspeed, she lunged at Tsukushi.  
Her arms were sinewy spears, her face contorted. But she moved so fast - Tsukushi just barely managed to jump backwards to avoid the first swipe of her nails against her skin, but there was no place to hide. She backed against the wall, eyes wide and dilated with fear. This woman truly intended to hurt her, and there was no way to escape it!  
But even thinking all this took too much time, and like a rattlesnake, Kaede was poised to strike again. Red nails stretched to the sky, ready to fall, then sliced through the air with a sound like a cracking whip. The witch's claws were almost upon her. Tsukushi winced and opened her mouth to scream.   
But then something completely unexpected happened.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KAEDE!?"  
The voice was a booming one - one Tsukushi had never heard before. She'd never heard anyone refer to Kaede by her first name before. Even Tama-senpai, who had known Tsukasa's grandfather, had referred to her as Kaede-sama. Who could do such a thing? Who had the courage, against one so imposing? Who could dare...  
"...it couldn't be..." she breathed.  
Into the doorway strode a man she swore must have been three meters tall.  
A dark, thick coat wrapped around broad shoulders, shoulders that seemed to belong to a giant, not a man. His stature seemed to tower up into the heavens, like a statue, a man of iron. His eyebrows furrowed into angry knots over two piercingly eyes of royal purple. The thick clusters of his beard and hair were dark, tangled... and curly. Curly in a way she had only ever seen on one other man.  
Tsukasa had run to Tsukushi's side the moment his mother had faltered in her attack, and he held her tightly with one arm about her shoulders, one clutching her hand. But his eyes were fixed on the doorway as well, and his mouth hung open in a gape of astonishment. A choking half a word attempted to escape from his throat, but died. So it was Kaede who spoke first. And the voice in which she spoke was a ghost of her normal tone. "Takehiko...!"   
Then Tsukasa found his breath again. His one word confirmed Tsukushi's suspicions... and turned her world upside down again.  
"Oyaji...!!"  
  
--  



	9. Part 9

PART IX  
  
The man's frame filled the doorway. His scowl darkened the room with its ferocity. He was a monstrous presence. He was a tower of imperial authority. He was...  
  
::Doumyouji's father..!::  
  
Tsukushi heard herself swallow, blood pounding in her ears. Her body went a little limp, and she squeezed Tsukasa's hand for support. She had wondered time and time again what sort of man his father could possibly be, and looking at the man for the first time she realized two things. One, he was exactly what she'd expected; and two, despite that, she still felt her world reel in shock at his presence. His appearance in the room seemed to jar the very universe, set everything a little out of tune, accelerate the motion of those gears that moved time and space through infinity. He was the very definition of regal - almost to the point of being divine.  
And he was angry.  
  
Doumyouji Takehiko flew across the room with the speed and urgency of a supersonic jet with a fire on its wing. With two strong bearlike hands he grasped Kaede by both arms, and whipped her around to face him. "Enough of this, Kaede! Have you lost your senses?" He spoke to her roughly, intently, breathing the words into her pallid face. Tsukushi's mind whirled at his firm grasp and stern expression, unable to think anything but a sort of wordless amazement at his lack of fear.  
"Is this why I gave you control of the corporation? So you could pay for bribes, lookalikes, and special police to control our son's dating habits? Since when is that part of your job description?" Tsukasa's eyes widened as his father's words hung in the air, and Tsukushi could almost hear his question - how did he know all of that? But then, in the hallway behind the open door, Tsukushi glimpsed a mousy shadow with short blonde hair, skittering about behind the doorframe. And all questions were answered.  
"Unhand me, Takehiko," Kaede seemed to come back to herself, though her voice was ragged with outrage. "I am taking care of my family as I see fit. That is more than you manage!"  
"That is unfair and you know it," Takehiko answered, low and even. "This is not why I gave you control, Kaede. I know the whole story now. You know that I've always been opposed to that way of living - to the control our parents insisted on having over our lives. How could you return to that?"  
"I have been thinking about Tsukasa. I have ALWAYS been thinking about Tsukasa!" she insisted. "I do know what is best for that boy, Takehiko. No matter what you or anyone else may think, I have been looking out for him."  
"Even though he himself may have something different to say on the subject?" His tone stung with bitterness. "What on earth led you to place such little trust in his will?"  
"Because he is far too much like you!" Kaede cried out, and then hung her head. Takehiko stared a moment, then released his hold on Kaede's shoulders. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands, tilting her gaze up to meet his eyes.   
She trembled with frustration and anger. "If you gave away all your power to me so readily," she went on in a low voice, "what might he give away, without even thinking about it?"  
"Kaede," Takehiko said gently, "have you forgotten? I gave it to you because I had faith in you. Please don't show me now that my faith was misplaced."  
"And what if I do?" Kaede barked. "Would you wish on your son, then, the same disillusionment? Would you allow this girl to hurt Tsukasa in the same way... that I've hurt you?!" And at these words, the iron woman's steely eyes began to fill with tears.  
Tsukushi had remained where she was, afraid to move or even breathe during this entire exchange. Somehow she had the feeling she was witnessing something she ought not to; that this was a private moment between a married couple, and she was embarrassed to be intruding on it. But when she saw the unthinkable... the woman she'd always seen as an unthinking, unfeeling demon, with tears, those unmistakable signs of humanity, in her hawklike eyes... she couldn't help but let out a small sound of surprise.  
At this, the man's eyes turned in her direction. Immediately she felt small and scared again, as he probed her with a long serious look, and then began a slow, deliberate walk toward her.  
"Stand up, young woman," Takehiko said.  
"Y... yes, sir!" Tsukushi answered on reflex, rising to her feet. Her heart was hammering madly. This man was, in his own way, more frightening then Kaede had been... perhaps because she knew he was actually examining her for herself. No matter how horrific Kaede's glances had been, they had always reeked of bigotry, and that made them all the easier to defy. But this man... her husband... was like some great judge who had come down to test her true merit. Tsukushi took hold of all her life experiences, everything she'd been through, and squeezed it into one hand. She let the memories flow through her, sculpt her, change her. She would prove herself worthy. Worthy of Tsukasa, and worthy of herself.  
Takehiko gazed at her for a long while. He stood barely a breath away from her, scrutinizing her face. She continued to stare at him, afraid to flinch or show her fear. Finally, he spoke. "What is your name?"  
"Yes, sir... Makino Tsukushi, sir," she said, loudly and awkwardly perhaps, but without faltering or stuttering.  
"And Makino-san," Takehiko said slowly, with the air of a man who never had to hurry his words because he knew the world would always listen, "what are your intentions concerning my son?"  
At this, Tsukasa gave a little sound of surprise. Tsukushi remembered his presence in the room, and took a deep gulp as she realized her answer would affect him as well. Her mind warned in all its various voices to be careful. But the clear, clear tones of her heart overwhelmed them all, and there was no hesitation as she began to speak.  
"I have no intentions," she said, her voice growing louder as she realized what her words were. "I am a high school student. My only wish is to get through the next two years of high school and graduate."  
  
...just two more years of patience.  
To get through the next two years quietly and graduate... that's my only wish.  
Those were the words that had started it all. The silent prayer that had never been answered.  
And then, like the flash of red when she opened her locker that morning, he had burst into her life.  
And then there had been garbage thrown at her and emergency staircases and secretly taken photos and scarves tying her to a car and bubble baths and moonlit nights on beaches and airplanes to New York and beauty pageants and New Year's wishes and strange bespectacled boys and tiny burnt cookies and fiancees and threats and lookalikes and love...  
...and it was then that she knew what she wanted.  
It was what she'd always wanted.  
Over all that time, over everything that happened, she realized, her dreams were still the same.  
And that's why she'd survived.  
And that's why she was who she was.  
  
"I want to go to university, graduate, and get a job so I can take care of my family and make them happy," Tsukushi said, feeling as though a thousand suns were rising behind her. Doubt and fear washed away like grains of sand swept away by the waves. They were things of the past. But she was speaking of her future now, and whatever problems might arise then, her vision of it was suddenly, brilliantly, clear.  
"I have never had any intention or desire to get money by any other means than earning it. My life and my worth are my own, and I do not need to lean on anyone to support it."  
Tsukasa sucked in a breath behind her. Even without seeing her face, he knew her expression, and it stunned him. He clutched a fist, trying to control himself, as a rush of feeling washed over him again and again. His head swam as though he were riding an endless roller coaster, constantly accelerating down a huge slope, rocketing down toward madness. He was falling in love with her all over again. And again. And again.   
"But..." she paused. He looked up.  
"But I love Tsukasa," she said.  
The world stopped and stared.  
"I love Tsukasa and I want to be with him."  
For perhaps the first time in his life, Tsukasa was unable to control his tears. He tried desperately to swallow them, but it was no good. His life turned to liquid and he had no choice but to let it flow.  
But Tsukushi was smiling. "That's all," she said.  
  
It seemed an eternity and a half before either of them moved. Tsukushi stood straight, but tense, muscles locked in place with resolve and no small element of agitation. She was still battle-ready, and she still had no idea what was coming next. As for Takehiko, he had continued to gaze at her as her last words faded away into the air, his expression dark and stern. His face was a perfect mask. Not a single thought or emotion crept through its opaque seriousness.   
Then slowly, ever so slowly, like creeping dawn comes to the edge of the horizon and lets a single ray of light illuminate the sky, the corners of his lips turned upwards.  
"Then, be with him," he said.  
Tsukasa sucked in a breath. Tsukushi still couldn't move.  
It was only when Takehiko's huge warm hand came down to rest on her shoulder that she felt a shudder go through her body. Her muscles relaxed in spite of themselves and a sigh escaped her lungs. A hopeful smile lit her face.  
"If you hurt him, you will have me to answer to." Takehiko's voice was stern, but his eyes were bright.  
"Thank you very much," Tsukushi managed to say. The smile stubbornly widened into a grin, and try as she might, she couldn't wipe it off her face. Her heart was singing. Was this it? Could she truly dare to hope that all the things she'd suffered through until now were finally, completely, at an end? The thought was so extraordinary that she barely knew what to do with herself.  
Takehiko walked over toward Tsukasa. "She seems like a very good woman," he said to his son, who had wiped his tears away and was staring straight ahead with glassy, fixed eyes. "I hope you know how to take care of her." He gave a low chuckle and reached out to him.  
Tsukasa stirred, barely.  
His father put a friendly hand on his shoulder.  
And Tsukasa burst into action.  
"Don't touch me!" he burst out, swiping Takehiko's hand away with an animal growl. "Don't mess with me, damn you!" His fists tensed, he rose to his feet, glowering expression frozen on his face, breathing heavily, eyes on fire. Tsukushi whirled and gasped. Takehiko stumbled backwards.  
"Tsukasa...?"  
Tsukasa's rage boiled around him like a red steam rising from his body. He made another giant, violent sweep with his arm, forcing Takehiko back another step. "You heard me!" he shouted. "Don't you try to come in and play hero now. If you were going to do this, why didn't you do it months ago? Before Makino went through hell and back!"  
"Doumyouji...!" Tsukushi said in a hollow voice. His sudden burst of anger had rooted her to the spot, and she didn't know what to think.  
Takehiko repeated his son's name once more. But Tsukasa wasn't done. "You disappear from our lives for years at a time and you think I'm just going to say thank you?? If you're such a goddamned good guy, where the hell have you BEEN!"  
"Tsukasa..." Takehiko said for the third time, and Tsukushi realized as she heard the name escape his lips that he looked truly surprised. He had turned ashen, and his hand shook as he made a halfhearted gesture toward Tsukasa, then himself. "....Wait a moment," he said in a hesitant voice. "Wait a moment, Tsukasa..."  
At the sudden change of expression, Tsukasa stopped his ranting. "...What?" he said, his own features going blank.  
"Do you mean to tell me..." Takehiko slowly regained his strength. His voice lost its confused vibrato. "Do you mean to tell me that you would have WANTED to see me?"  
Tsukasa blinked. There was a long pause.  
And both their eyes turned to Kaede.  
  
She had been standing, useless and forgotten, in a corner of the room. Her arms folded tight around herself, nails digging tightly into the flesh of her arms as if trying to keep herself alive with the pain, she had watched all that had gone on with a look of horror. Now, with the stabbing glances of both men piercing her, she seemed to shrink back into the woodwork, trying her best to turn chameleon and disappear.  
"You damned bitch," Tsukasa said with fire in his tone. His words built up into a frenzied shout. "What... did... you.... DO!?"  
"Wasn't it you who told me," Takehiko said, more calmly than his son but with similar flame behind his words, "that the children never wanted to see or hear from me again!?"  
Tsukushi stepped backwards, out of the fearsome triangle of stares, and moved to the side, just watching. Her pulse raced, and she had trouble swallowing. Her mouth felt dry. This was all too much. It was all just too much.  
"You were the one who said it," Takehiko said. "They were so disgusted with my actions that they didn't even want to argue the matter. If I was going to just give the company away, they said, then I was giving away the family name, and they'd rather not hear from me ever again. Kaede, those words broke my heart!" he cried out. "As glad as I was to leave you control of the empire, you made it clear that the children's response to my decision was such that I shouldn't even attempt to explain - that it would be better for both of us if I just left them alone...!"  
"Takehiko..." Kaede spoke up, reaching out as a drowning man does to a faraway ship. "Let me explain..."  
"Be quiet!" Takehiko roared, and the floor shook. "You could play games with my son's life, even with my life, but how could you stoop so low as to destroy my relationship with my own children? Tsukasa," he said in a sudden, earnest tone, turning to him. "Can you ever forgive me? I had no idea. I truly thought that you..."  
Tsukasa didn't speak. He looked down at the floorboards ruefully, vacillating between extremes of emotion that collided with one another like clamorous bumper cars. Finally, he looked up with a face full of perplexedness. "Has she really... had control of the whole thing...?" he began. "I thought you were still..." In front of his father, he seemed once again to turn into an anxious schoolboy. The intimidating Tsukasa, thoroughly intimidated himself. Tsukushi thought to herself, despite the seriousness of the moment, that it was really quite cute.  
"It seems she's lied to us both," Takehiko said. He shook his head slowly. "Kaede," he said, facing once again the pale ghost of a woman who had frozen herself against the mahogany panels of the walls, "I still don't understand why you've done all this. But..." He paused briefly. "I remember the woman I married, and I'd like to see her again. It seems we have a lot of healing to do."  
He sighed heavily. "But for now, Kaede, please let these two do as they wish. We have a lot to talk about, you and I. But as for Tsukasa, he has his own life to live." His voice ached with sincerity, and Tsukushi felt tears come to her eyes. Kaede trembled. The maple leaf in a windstorm. "Let these children be," Takehiko finished. "Please."  
The rolling rumble of his voice seemed to fill the room, and like an expectant drumroll, it made the whole world take in an anxious breath. The Please resounded off the woodwork, reverberated through the house, made its presence felt everywhere. And as its vibrations stirred within Kaede, she slowly, silently, hung her head, turned away, and ran from the room.  
  
  
  
The moment she was gone, Tsukushi trembled and began to fall. She felt the weight of the world falling suddenly from her shoulders, crumbling, and she wanted to crumble along with it. The sigh of relief in her heart was so deep, so profound, that she almost lost consciousness. It was over.  
Tsukasa was at her side in a moment, his fingers griping her waist and arm tightly. "Hey!" he frowned. "Makino, get a grip!"  
Tsukushi passed a hand over her forehead. She felt like she'd been doused in cold water, all shivers and chills. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to regain control of her faculties. "I'm okay."  
"Don't start swooning on me," Tsukasa lectured her. "Swoony girls are pathetic."  
"Who are you calling swoony?" She was on her own two feet again in a flash. "Who was the one who fell over crying for Nee-chan when I kicked him in the face!?"  
"You are not being cute, you know!" Tsukasa retorted.  
"Uncute is fine by me!"  
Takehiko laughed richly, and the pair remembered his presence there. Tsukasa straightened up and turned to him. "Oyaji," he said seriously. "It's all right now, isn't it? For Makino and me."  
Takehiko smiled brightly. "Please, you two. Don't stay here a minute longer," he said, his rich, warm voice enveloping Tsukushi like a flood. "You have somewhere else you'd rather be, I'm sure."  
"Otou-san..." Tsukushi's eyes filled with tears. She raced forward and embraced him, crying. He chuckled at the sudden, fresh warmth against him. "Thank you so much," she said.   
"Be happy," he replied softly.  
Tsukushi stepped back a pace and looked up at the man. "Yes, sir," she said.  
And she turned to Tsukasa.  
  
He was smiling, a brilliant, beautiful smile. Tsukushi's heart leapt. How she loved that smile. And now she felt it had opened up, as though the flashes of joy she had seen from him in the past were merely sunrises of emotion. Now, day had finally dawned in his heart, and she was there to share in its warmth. Happiness filled her.  
He held out his hand to her. "Shall we?"  
She nodded.  
  
And off they went. Hand in hand, they ran, down the stairs, across the gardens, through the gate, and away. Leaving the Doumyouji house far behind. With the new future just behind the horizon, Tsukushi and Tsukasa walked off into the sunset.  
  
-to be concluded- 


	10. Part 10 (rated R)

PART X  
  
"Yeah, it's me."  
"Nishikado-kun?"  
"Yeah. Who's this?"  
"Oh, I can't believe this! YOU don't remember my voice?"  
"Uh... um... of course I remember your voice...! How could I forget, when we shared that wonderful night together?"  
"..."  
"...You're not mad, are you? I'm sorry I haven't called... I searched everywhere for your number, but I must have misplaced it..."  
"Nishikado-kun..."  
"Yes, darling?"  
"It's O'okawahara."  
".......................................oh."  
  
  
"What?! You're in New York!?"  
"Ehh... didn't Hanazawa-kun tell you?"  
"Rui? Hey, Rui... did you talk to Shigeru?"  
(in the background) "Huh?"  
A pause.  
"He says he thought he dreamed that."  
"...."  
  
"You're kidding me. So that's what happened, huh?"  
"'And they all lived happily ever after...'"  
"Heh, isn't that something. So where are they right now?"  
"Oh, who knows. They're probably out painting the town red."  
  
And indeed they were.  
  
Tsukushi squealed as the ice sprayed sparks into her face. Behind her, a cursing Tsukasa sat in a heap, unable to balance for a half-second without falling over. Sighing, she skated back to him, stretched out her hand, and did her best to pull his massive frame around. Then he fell forward, and with a shriek, she ended up tangled beneath him on the ice. Rockefeller Center laughed.  
  
Somewhat befuddled, and toting several articles of clothing, one dragging behind her obstinately, Tsukushi limped her way into the dressing room. Tsukasa snorted and sat impatiently, muttering things about bargain shopping and places he'd never be caught dead in if it weren't for a certain someone. But then when she came back out wearing a navy blue gown, all the words died in his throat and he stammered incoherently, a red-faced ape.  
  
It took all his strength to pull Tsukushi off the curb and into the theatre - she wanted to look at all the flashing lights and passing limousines some more. But by forty-five minutes into the show, she was wiping tears from her eyes, sitting forward in her seat intently. All this without understanding a word of the script. Tsukasa, who could understand, rolled his eyes with boredom and contented himself with watching her shimmering profile in the dark as her expression changed with the changing keys of the music.  
  
Pulling his hand, Tsukushi pointed to the lavish horse and carriage waiting for customers by the roadside. Tsukasa's eyes were on the trail the horse had obviously left on his way there. "Makino! It'll stink!" he snapped. But he couldn't resist her starry eyes, and off they went, although halfway through the ride she ended up agreeing with him.  
  
"Gyeh..."  
  
But oh, how they laughed about it anyway... how loudly...   
...and how freely...!  
  
  
The horse whinnied obstinately as it passed through Central Park, the occupants of the white carriage behind it relaxing into the rhythm of the ride. Tsukushi's eyes had glittered so much at every turn and every sight that she had finally become a little tired, and was sitting up straight with her eyes closed, listening to the rhythmic hoofbeats and the muted din of the city surrounding them. She sighed happily.  
Tsukasa held her hand loosely, leaning back against the seat of the carriage. She'd worn that same navy gown to the theatre, and he'd been jealous whenever anyone gave her a passing glance. How could he help it, though, to think that other men would get a glimpse of the things he considered his own? Why should he tolerate anyone else's appreciation of turn of her leg, the curve of her waist, the delicious opening where her neck met her shoulders that called out for his lips even now...   
Tsukushi froze when she felt the touch of his fingers on the back of her neck. But as quickly as she tensed up, she relaxed again. There was nothing to fear, just a simple, idle caress from him - something comforting. His fingertips danced on her skin for a moment and then slid across her shoulders to find a secure hold. The hand that held hers loosened its grasp, interwove its fingers with hers, and then traveled up her arm to hold it as well.   
And then Tsukushi gave a little squeal and winced as she felt a wild, blooming sensation shiver across her body. It was the warmth of his mouth on her neck, moist and urgent lips tracing patterns and seeking treasure on her skin. She took a shuddering breath inward, unable for a moment to say a thing. Her strength began to drain away, as it always did whenever he touched her, and she found herself falling backwards into his embrace.  
Encouraged, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing her neck deeply and letting his lips and tongue play across the silken, delicious fields of her skin. Her head arched to the side, as though giving him room to roam, and she let a wordless sound fly into the night air. Slowly, her head turned, and he captured her lips for a searing moment. She moaned involuntarily into the kiss, and inspired by the sound, he returned to exploring her neck with his hungry mouth. She was warm and tasted so good, and he wanted more... without knowing what he was doing, he edged the fabric of her dress to the side so he could kiss her there.  
At this, she snapped awake. "Hey....!" she said, jerking away. "What do you think you're doing in public?"  
He winced, suddenly empty arms convulsing around air. "Give me a break," he pleaded. "We're in New York. Can't I act a little bit like a Gaijin while I'm here?"  
"That's not the problem!" she said in a stage-whisper, batting him slightly on the arm. His eyes widened when she turned to him, as he saw how flushed her face was, and how quickly her shoulders shook as she drew in short, erratic breaths. Heat ripped through him and he wanted to grab her and kiss her right there.   
But he couldn't, not after she'd just complained about that very thing. So he sat on his hands, blushing, trying to think about anything but how much he wanted her. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Sorry."  
Her heart melted at seeing his hopelessly frustrated expression. "Doumyouji," she started, unable to supress a little giggle.  
"Damn it, don't laugh at me!" he burst out, waving a fist at her angrily.  
She caught his flying hand in midair, relaxed it, and interlaced her fingers with his. "I'm not laughing at you," she said in a gentle voice, smiling disarmingly and looking straight into his eyes. She closed her other hand over his, one warm hand covered by two. He felt enveloped by her warmth, and his control wavered.  
"Damn it, Makino..." he growled, shaking his head. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"  
"Huh?"  
He blushed even redder, and he had trouble meeting her gaze. "I know we've finally gotten to go out in public without hiding," he said with the air of a guilty schoolboy admitting his folly, "but I can't help but think I'd like to get you all to myself..." The color in his cheeks reached a boiling point, and he had to look away. "But hey," he said louder than was necessary, "you just said you're not into that stuff, so there's nothing I can do about it if you don't want to..."  
He was interrupted by Tsukushi's hand on his face. With steady, even, gentle pressure, she turned his head back to face her again, and as he did, his eyes opened to the sensation of a kindred heat to his own. Her cheeks were just as red, her gaze just as piercing as his had been before. And when she opened her mouth to speak, he lost all his power and could only gaze at her with wide, bright eyes.  
"I didn't say I didn't want to..."  
  
  
  
  
Tsukushi knew exactly why they were here. Her face felt so hot it might have burned to the touch, and her breaths threaded shakily into her lungs as they walked across the marble floors. But Tsukasa placed his hand on her shoulder, gently, and it felt like a lifeline she could hang onto when her feet were dangling free in the air far above the abyss.  
"Are you all right?" he asked in a gentle voice, and through the haze of heat, she looked at him and nodded. His eyes reassured her silently.  
He was gentle all the way across the lobby and into the elevator, but as soon as the heavy brass doors began to close, something in the delicate balance keeping them apart broke, and the vacuum between them was sucked away. As the elevator started to ascend, they kissed desperately, madly, feeling as though they were rocketing up through the atmosphere toward distant stars. Tsukushi clung to him for dear life as his kiss ignited nitrogen fires deep inside her, threatening to make her explode from within. She felt as if she was going mad, like she was drinking sweet, sweet wine. She had never had a kiss like this before.  
But then the elevator came to a halt and reminded them with a slight push of gravity that they had arrived. Almost before she was ready, Tsukushi felt Tsukasa move away from her, and as he took her hand and began to lead her down the hall, she wasn't sure she had stopped reaching for him. Her lips, her hands, called out to continue. In her head was nothing but a constant replay, and a voice whispering the word 'sweet, sweet' over and over again. And just as though for something infinitely sweet, Tsukushi felt an overwhelming hunger.  
His hands fumbled nervously with the key, having trouble fitting it into the lock, but with a click the door finally opened, and Tsukushi found herself in the doorway of the most lavish hotel room she could possibly imagine. Flowers adorned the corners, and at the foot of the bed with its ivory, glistening sheets sat an ornate bench with equally silvery cushions. The curtains lay wide open, and all the glistening lights of New York sparkled in the glass, most of them far below. Tsukushi thought she must be on top of the world. She flew to the window and stared in open-mouthed wonder.  
"So pretty..." she gasped, feeling flighty and on edge, her heart still hammering in her chest.  
Tsukasa stood behind her at a distance, watching her with the casual luxury of a man who had all the time in the world. "It all belongs to us," he said in a quiet voice.  
She turned back to him and made a face. "You're not THAT rich."  
"Money's got nothing to do with it," he said, approaching her. He ran his hands over the smooth curtain of her hair. "Even if I had nothing, all those lights out there were made just for us," he whispered into her ear. "The whole world, Makino, is out there just so we can be together in it. It belongs to us."  
She giggled at his absurd display of sentiment. "Doumyouji..."  
"You called me 'Tsukasa' in front of my father," he reminded her.  
She turned bright red. "Y... yeah, but... it would have been weird to tell someone named Doumyouji that I wanted to be with Doumyouji when it wasn't that Doumyouji, and..." Her hands flew into the air, and she gestured frantically, trying to come up with a suitable explanation.  
He brought his hands to her face and kissed her lips. "Say 'Tsukasa,'" he implored.  
"Why?" Her heart pounded, and she felt those strong tides of passion drawing her in toward him.   
His breath against her face was just a little ragged. "Please," he said.  
She closed her eyes, feeling like her whole body was about to turn to something red and liquid. She wanted to melt like a flood against him, let her face drift upwards to his like rising smoke from a candle. It took real effort to part her lips and speak. "Tsukasa." She said it softly, but with no hesitation or stammering.  
He looked down at her up-tilted face, lowered his own head so his forehead rested on hers, and gazed at her with clear, bright eyes. "Thank you," he said. His lips were less than an inch from hers. Unable to resist, she strained upwards to close the gap, and at the feel of it he reached out to pull her in and hold her tight. She clung to him, her fingers fluttering on the back of his neck.  
"Now if I could only get you to say it without having to think about it," he said, his voice laced with fire.  
"I wonder how you could do that." She was surprised at the coquette inside of her, but somehow the teasing words found their way out, and she blushed at her own innuendo.   
He sighed, long and deep, a sigh that was nearly a groan. Her expression changed, and she looked up at him with round, worried eyes. His arms tightened around her, drawing her into a fast embrace, and she found her face pressed against his shoulder. Her eyes stared blankly at the wall behind him, no longer seeing, just open as her senses registered the power of the embrace. Her hands trembled a little on his neck.  
He let out several puffs of breath before he could speak. When the words came out, they were heavy and forceful. Even he shook as he spoke them.  
"I want you."  
But there was no gap before she replied.  
"You have me."  
  
The sight of his bare skin had made her heart flutter before, but never like this. The sheets were so cool around her, caressing the skin of her shoulders, making her feel like a part of a floating white cloud somewhere in the skies over Eden. He had looked at her a long time before coming over to join her, tumbling his clothes into a pile on the floor beside hers. She had seen the longing and delight in his eyes, and it made her feel less small, less scared as she showed herself to him for the first time. They caressed each other with their eyes, with long, leisurely glances, before the first real caress began.  
This time, when his fingers burned her skin with their touch, there was no pain. This time, when her head started to leave her and her body started to glow, there was no regret. And there was no place his hands didn't reach, with their burning searing fingertips, and there was no place his lips didn't follow... even when she thought she'd drown with the feeling of his lips everywhere, everywhere... so everywhere that noise burst out of space and became his name, golden in the golden room, like fireworks hanging in the sky...  
"tsu....Tsukasa...!!"  
And as the spangles faded he touched his forehead to hers, touched his lips to hers, touched his soul to hers... a nexus of warmth between their faces... he kissed even the sweat from her brow...  
"You called me Tsukasa..." he whispered.  
"Yeah..." she breathed, as though just realizing it herself.  
"Tell me you love me..."  
"I love you..."  
Kissing her jaw... "Tell me again..."  
Gasping... "I love you..."  
Kissing her neck... "Again..."  
Annoyance now. "Tsukasa!"  
The sensation of his lips against her neck curving into a smile...  
And then her heart leapt into her throat like an anxious hummingbird as he said, soft, low, true:  
"Tsukushi."  
And all at once she knew the wonder he must have felt when she had called out his name.  
She pulled him up to her, kissed him long and deep, feeling so close to him, so in love with him she was frightened... but oh what delicious fear, as her heart raced faster and faster, madder and madder, and her skin pulsed with his every touch as though it was itself a heartbeat.   
He murmured her name again and again, and each repetition was like a kiss, like a caress in itself, and she cried out with the feeling of it - the sound of her name resonating against her neck, between her breasts, into the palm of her hand... and she felt the power of him so strongly above her, beside her... but still he avoided, delayed that one moment when there would be no turning back, although the spirits deep within her called out for it... and she writhed in agony under the blinding heat of his presence, his love burning holes through her, piercing her with arrows of light that it hurt to see. Her voice called out despite herself.  
"Tsukasa, _please_..."  
And that's when he allowed himself to come home to her, and despite the pain she welcomed him joyfully, fully, all the doors opening within her light-infused heart and body. She saw the swinging pinpricks of the stars, or the New York city lights, or both, spin in arcs of dizzy madness above her head. She thought he must be melting into her, or she him. She wasn't sure anymore where she ended and he began. But it didn't matter, not now, not when the world was like a spinning star going faster and faster around itself until the very space around it, the very fire within it, exploded into and upon itself--  
a supernova--  
  
and white-hot stardust filled the dark caverns of space with fast-fading warmth, warmth that pulsed into the beyond on and on into eternity, creating a new galaxy, a new world, a new forever...   
  
...and that world was, indeed, made just for them.  
  
  
"Tsukasa..." she whispered, nibbling idly on his ear.  
He stirred, pulled her in. "What?"  
"What do you want to do now?"  
She could feel his jawline move as he grinned. "The same thing again."  
"I don't mean that," she said in a voice she knew would be a little too loud. He winced, and she quieted somewhat. "Where do you want to go from here?"  
He rolled over, pulled her to him, their skin singing as they touched. "I don't know," he said lazily. "I was thinking of going home."  
"Home?" Her heart skipped a beat. She had often felt the aching tug of homesickness while she'd been here, but now it hit her stronger than ever. There were so many faces she wanted to see... the smiles on the faces of their mutual friends when they returned together... the annoyance in her brother's scowl as he chewed her out for leaving him alone... the gentle smile of her best friend as she told her everything that had happened.   
Normality. The beautiful truth of the things she had lost and found again. Tsukushi sighed. Even seeking a simple life, she realized, she had complicated so much herself that the whole world had faded into confusion, and she had lost sight of what it was she'd been looking for.   
But what could be more simple than this? In the darkness, being held by the one she loved, dreaming of home. Suddenly the phrase she'd used to describe her life meant something entirely different. It meant that she had traveled through the forest of tall, proud cherry trees, and though she had nearly lost her way among the snow-white eternity of beauty, in the end she had not let their proud and ostentatious blossoms deter her from her true goal. The truly important things were hers to take and cherish, from this night on, and as far into the future as she could dare to dream. And she would stay true to that motto that rang in the back of her brain - she would never let them go again.  
She lay against Tsukasa's shoulder and closed her eyes.  
"Hana yori dango," she murmured.  
  
  
--thank you tsukushi and tenshi my beta readers, and everyone on the hydml, and kamio yoko, and T&T forever and ever and ever and ever-- 


End file.
